Checking In with Your Breath

To be able to compare and appreciate the changes that may occur both during and after a breathing inquiry, it′s important to take a few moments beforehand to gauge the initial quality of your breathing. I call these observations breathing “check-ins,” and they can be used not only before doing a breathing inquiry, but throughout the day as a way of gauging one′s physical and psychological state. Generally when people start to observe the breath they immediately change it. Because of this tendency, in the beginning let your check-ins be brief. I call them “body glances.” You need not collect a library of details during these check-ins. A general impression will suffice for now.

To get a general impression of your breathing take a moment now to sit and sense your breathing. As you ask yourself the following questions wait for your reactions to come through.

检测你的呼吸

为了能够比较和充分意识到在体验呼吸之中与之后的变化，预先花几分钟时间去衡量你初始时的呼吸质量是非常重要的。我把这些称为观察呼吸的“检查程序”，它们不仅在体验呼吸之前非常有用，并且可以作为一种衡量身心状态的方法贯穿全天。通常来说，当人们开始观察呼吸，它们便会立即开始转变。基于这种趋势，在起初时让你的检查程序简单一些。我把它们叫做“对身体的浏览”。你不必在检查程序中收集详细的细节资料。一个概括总体的印象就足够了。

现在，坐下来，意识到你的呼吸，花一些时间去获得对呼吸的大体的印象。当你问到自己下面的问题时，等待着去经历身体产生的回应。

“Where do I feel my breathing?”

Can you feel where the movement of the breath originates? At first you may say that you feel nothing. But when you return to this question at the end of an inquiry you may find that your breathing feels deeper, fuller, or less effortful. Let whatever perceptions you have come though without editing or analyzing them. Don′t discount small movements or seemingly insignificant perceptions. It′s all significate. Do you feel particular areas of your body where the breath is more noticeable? Around your abdomen, chest, or nostrils? Throughout the rib cage? Do you notice your breathing around your shoulders or your breastbone?

“我感觉到我的呼吸在哪里？”

你能感觉到呼吸的起伏从哪里产生吗？可能刚开始你会说你什么都感觉不到。可是当你在体验结束后重新回到这个问题上来，你将发现你的呼吸更深、更充盈并且不再过分刻意努力。不要去编辑或分析你的任何感受，只是去经历那些（自然发生的感受）。别忽略那些细微的律动或表面上看起来毫无意义微不足道的感受。它们都是有重要价值的。你是否感受到那些呼吸更显著的特别部位？围绕着你的腹部、胸部或鼻孔？贯穿整个胸腔？你是否注意到呼吸围绕着你的肩膀或胸骨？

“What does my breathing feel like?”

What is the quality of your breathing? It is rough , labored, jerky, rhythmic? Does it feel smooth or mechanical? Take note of whatever words or images arise. You may want to record them for future reference.

Take the time to do a “body glance”before and after the other inquiries and movements. Now you are ready to start the first inquiry.

“我感觉到呼吸是什么样的？”

你呼吸的质量如何？它是粗暴的，吃力的，不平稳的，有韵律的？它是否平静流畅或呆滞机械？关注到你产生的任何想象或（身体的）语言。你会想要记录它们作为未来的参考。

在其他对呼吸的体验和流动之前与之后，用上一点时间做一个“对身体的浏览”。现在你可以准备开始第一个体验了。

    （以下图片展示了呼吸的波动在身体上产生的自然反映。）

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备注：文字中的括号部分是翻译时的注解补充，并非原文内容。其实以上文字与图片并不是配套的，但我觉得这些简单的图示会对理解呼吸的作用和重要性有很大帮助，因此就一起放上来，图片是用相机拍下来的，所以质量不好，中文也是我后来加上的，请大家海涵！

      以上所有文字、图片均来自Donna Farhi老师的著作《The Breathing Book》（关于呼吸的书），感谢老师的睿智与卓越贡献！这是一本对呼吸有详细论述的书，这篇博文里的只不过是书前面几页中节选的几段，所以请大家多多思考，不要断章取义，如果有兴趣的话，可以到亚马逊上购买此书。文章内容是我根据自己的理解翻译成中文，如果有哪里不太好的，请大家批评指正。整篇文章是一个一个字母码起来的，确实挺辛苦，所以未经允许，谢绝任何商业用途的转载，欢迎作为讨论学习之用转载！